Sheet-tobacco cutter



E. HOLB ROOKyJr."

Sheet Tobacco Cutter.

. Patented April '26. 1864.

l 'i" NEE FFICEQ ATENT EDIVABD HOLBROOK, JR, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SHEET-TOBACCO, CUTTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD HoLBRooK, Jr. of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and Improved Sheet-Tobacco Cutter; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of my improved cutting apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improved combination of devices for dividing sheet-tobacco into slabs, a knife being employed in such manner that it will penetrate the tobacco with scarcely any resistance and be continually preserved in a cleanly condition, whereas by the usual mode the knife is constantly liable to become clogged by the gummy matter of the tobacco, which not only impedes its operation, but materially affects the appearance of the slabs which are cut thereby.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a table mounted upon supports A A, and employed in connection with and arranged to receive sheets of tobacco from a press, which is represented by the red lines. The tobacco is passed into this press on flat moistened boards from a feeding-table located at the opposite side from that at which the table A is placed, and being formed into suecessive sheets is received upon the latter, whereon it is conducted to the cutting apparatus, which may be situated at the opposite end of thetable A from that adjoining the press. a

B represents the knife, which when in operation moves in a vertical plane, in which it is guided by slots 0 c in the standards 0 O, in which slots the knife works at its respective ends. On either side of the knife 13 is placed a roll, I), both of which are journaled in the standards 0 0 and arranged to rotate or turn on their axes in contact with the knife. These rolls D D are covered with felt or analogous material, which is saturated with liquid flavor or proof-spirit, so that at each downward or upward movement of the knife its vertical faces are thoroughly lubricated by this liquid.

This lubricating of the knife insures it against all liability to become clogged and incumbered, and, in addition to this, adapts the knife to penetrate the tobacco smoothly and without resistance. By the ordinary mode the operation of cutting tobacco into slabs is in itself of difficult performance, and the gumming of the blade not only increases the labor required to force it through the tobacco, but also has the effect of producing jagged or irregular edges, and frequently spoiling the appearance of the slab altogether.

E E represent arms connected at their respective upper ends with the knife 13, and at their lower ends jointed tqcrank-wheels F F. To turn these wheels F, in order to reciprocate the knife B, eitherhand, steam, or other power may be applied to a wheel, G, and multiplied through the gearing H I.

J represents a feed-roll, which may be'rotated by a crank-handle, J

K represents a roll the ends of which occupy slots 0 c in the standards QC. This roll K is so arranged that by means of the handle K and toggle-levers K K it may be either elevated or lowered. It is elevated to permit the successively-passing sheets of tobacco to be passed between itself. and the roll J, and then lowered, when its weight will serve to retain the tobacco firmly in contact with said roll J, and thereby insure the effectual feeding of the tobacco to the knife B, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. V

L represents a transverse strip or piece securely fastened to the table A, and employed to limit the movement of the boards between which the sheets are formed, and by which they are conveyed along 011 the table .A to the cutting apparatus, to facilitate which the table is provided with a number of casters orsmall journaled wheels, a. i

M M represent cams, which mayv be turned up by a handle, M, in the manner shown, so as to place in an inclined position the boards N, from which the tobacco passes to the cutting apparatus, and thereby cause the tendency of the tobacco itself to assist the action of the feed-roll J. These cams, when in their upper position, also serve to retain the tobacco in proper positionto be acted on by the press on being passed into the latter from the feeding-table, and they may be turned down into coincidence with the top of the table A, so as to permit the sheets to pass from the press onp to said table A.

I 0 represents a gage, which may be adjusted by set-screws o 0, so as to increase or diminish the width of V the slabs, into which the sheets are severed by the knife 13.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination with the knife B, of the rolls D D, the latter being covered with felt or analogous material to adapt the knife to be lubricated, substantially as and fo; the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the arms E, crank- Wheels F, wheel G, and gearing II I, constructed and arranged as herein shown and described, and employed to operate the knife in the manner specified.

3. The roll J, employed in connection with the roll K, for feeding the tobacco to the action of the knife, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the cutting apparatus, the cams M M, adapted to assist the feeding of the tobacco, substantially as described.

- 5. In combination with the table A, the wheels or casters a, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

EDWARD HOLBROOK, JR.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. L. DUBOIs, R. H. MAYHEW. 

